Boston offers enduring history and top attractions from Freedom Trail to New England Aquarium

The walls of the Old South Meeting Hall, one of 16 stops along the trail, were privy to Samuel Adam’s secret signal, which launched the Boston Tea Party. With a little imagination you can almost hear today his words to make “Boston Harbor a tea pot.”

Just a few blocks away from this evocative historic setting, Boston’s theater district beckons. A variety of fine cuisine can be enjoyed at popular restaurants like BiNA Osteria. The restaurant’s creative menu and excellent selection of wine and craft beer is perfectly set off by its stylish modern décor.

And no matter where you are on the Freedom Trail, there always seems to be a Starbucks nearby. It’s only a short ride on the subway or via taxi to see the latest exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston or hear the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. Boston is a great walking city with reliable mass transit.

Fortunately many of the best hotels place you right near the action, including the historic Four Seasons Boston and the recently built Fairmont Battery Wharf.

The Four Seasons Boston Across from the Public Gardens

The Four Seasons Boston is just across Boylston Street from the Public Gardens and near Beacon Hill, Boston Commons and the start of the Freedom Trail. As in other Four Seasons hotels and resorts, the service level is impeccable and the décor luxurious down to the smallest detail. Many of the spacious guestrooms offer garden views. Guests can take advantage of the fitness center and in-door pool. The adjacent spa is cozy and offers diverse treatments.

Even locals are drawn to the Four Season’s restaurant, The Bristol, from breakfast to late-night snacks. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow diners to watch the world go by as they indulge in tasty signature martinis and creative entrees. Late Friday and Saturday night the Viennese dessert buffet tempts guests with 30 types of rich confections. The restaurant lounge features comfy couches and a fireplace.

Just a few footsteps away from the Four Seasons, the Public Gardens are filled with flowering trees, charming bridges and a willow-lined pond with a swan boat ride. Bronze statues overlook vibrant tulip beds and garden pathways. Next to the gardens is Boston Commons, which once was used as a cow pasture by city residents. Now it’s a popular park filled with leafy trees, monuments and well-used benches.

A trek across the commons leads to the start of the Freedom Trail, which ends with the Bunker Hill Monument. Visitors can get their National Park passport stamped at the Freedom Trail visitor center adjacent to the Old State House. The Old Statehouse is just across from the site of the infamous Boston Massacre, which is now marked by a patch of bricks in a busy intersection.

The Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel on Boston Harbor

Only a few blocks from such stops is The Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel on Boston Harbor in the North End. The stylish new hotel is just down the street from the Quincy Market, Christopher Columbus Park and the New England Aquarium. A nearby water taxi stand offers transit to additional sites along the harbor and the Charles River, which feeds into it.

Additionally, the hotel is not far from popular Italian restaurants, including the North End’s oldest, Cantina Italiana, a favorite since 1931.

But even with such dining options nearby, guests shouldn’t miss the hotel’s own restaurant, Sensing. Making a splash on the local cuisine scene, Sensing offers a sophisticated setting where guests can watch their dinner being prepared by top chefs.

Rooms at the hotel provide harbor views and are outfitted with smart contemporary furnishings. Guests will appreciate the smart design of their accommodations, including the large, two-door clothes closet that opens both to the room’s foyer and its large bathroom.

Nearby Attractions Include Quincy Market and the New England Aquarium

The nearby Quincy Market is a shoppers delight with a multitude of brand name venues as well as locally owned specialty boutiques and restaurants. Entertainment from musicians to magicians can be seen in the market’s central courtyard. Just a few blocks away, lush, green Christopher Columbus Park is set off by sweeping blue views of the Harbor.

Also within walking distance of the hotel is the New England Aquarium with its stories-tall central tank filled with all manner of sea creatures from sharks to parrot fish. Visitors wind their way up the central ramp surrounding the huge tank and can stop off at various floors to see other exhibits, including one on the massive Gulf of Maine ecosystem, which includes Boston Harbor.

Boston Duck Tours features a tour via an amphibious vehicle that leaves from the aquarium. Tour participants view historic sites along the streets of Boston then the tour leader drives into the Charles River for an exciting boat tour that shows off the city skyline.